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Nov 6, 2009 6:01 pm US/Eastern
Police Seek Driver In Fatal Hit & Run Crash
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) ―
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A man pushing a white cart across SW 117th Ave. in Southwest Miami-Dade was struck and killed by a hit and run driver on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009.
CBS
The search is for a hit and run driver who killed a man in Southwest Miami-Dade. And one neighbor is calling him an "animal" as Miami-Dade Police release a detailed description of the hit and run driver's vehicle. The crash took place Thursday evening around 7:15 p.m. at the intersection of Southwest 117th Avenue and 192nd Street.
And neighbors say they are appalled that the driver took off. Neighbor Jose Polanco told us the victim who was known in the community as "Ernestino" was often seen pushing his cart around after collecting aluminum all day and night. "That's messed up," said Polanco. "This is messed up."
"It's bad because poor innocent people like that without a car get hurt or killed by people who don't care and who take off," said neighbor Rosana Garcia. She echoed the sentiments of dozens of people in the community who spoke to
CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
"That's terrible that you just hit someone and leave him there," said neighbor Anna Marie Sanchez. "It's not right. When I hear that I think that people have, how do you say, they have no humanity. I think police are going to get him and put him in prison because he is an animal."
According to Miami-Dade Police Traffic Homicide investigators, the unidentified man was pushing a white cart across SW 117th Avenue when he was struck and killed. The man was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where he later died.
The truck that hit him left the scene heading southbound on SW 117th Avenue.
Police describe the vehicle as a white pick-up truck with letters displayed on the side of the vehicle, and a yellow light-bar on the vehicle's roof. The truck may have front-end damage. Police are looking into one report they have received that the victim may have been homeless.
"That's bad," said another neighbor Alfredo Rosario. "That's not right. It's a crime. You should stop."
Rosario said Southwest 117th Ave. is known for speeders and for other accidents. Just a few weeks ago, a young man lost his life at the same site. He was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
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